Biomechanical Gait Analysis in Patients Post-Stroke

Potential participants are identified upon admission to acute care post cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and screened for inclusion. Informed consent is obtained from the patient and/or designee. Demographic information is obtained from the medical record, the patient and/or designee by the clinical coordinator. The participant is randomized into traditional gait training group or body weight support (BWS) group. The participant receives the required amount of physical therapy as directed by clinicians at the acute care facility and accrediting agencies.

The traditional gait training group will receive gait training as presently performed without additional modalities. The BWS group will received BWS gait training in lieu of traditional gait training. Participants will be treated in in-patient rehabilitation for a duration as determined by the clinical team; thus, the overall duration of care may be variable between participants. Time spent in gait training activities for both groups will be tracked by both service unit and by time (minutes).

Within 48 hours of discharge from the acute care facility, the participant will be transported to a separate site for kinematic gait analysis using a marker based motion capture system.

The procedure for gait analysis is as follows:

• Investigators will place reflective markers on the following areas using non-latex adhesive tape: top of the shoulders, bony part of the pelvis on the front and back, hips, front of the thighs, outside of the knees, front of the shins, outside of the ankles, first and fifth toes, and back of each heel.
• The participant will walk across the room in the gait analysis lab no more than 20 times at his/her choice of pace while the camera system records gait parameters and kinematics. He/she will be allowed to rest as needed during the data collection.
• The reflective markers and adhesive tape will be removed and the participant thanked for his/her participation.

Inclusion criteria

• Current in-patient in acute care for Cerebrovascular accident (CVA),
• Unilateral CVA affecting at least the lower limb, and
• Medically stable as determined by the rehabilitation physician.

Exclusion criteria

• Previous (more than 1) CVA with residual lower limb deficit, and
• Any lower extremity pathology on the affected side other than the effects of the CVA.